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| India-Pakistan | |
| Faith-based violence | |
| 2015-05-04 | |
Yet when these inadequacies are amplified on the world stage the effect is more sobering. And as a recently released annual American report on religious freedom indicates, 2014 was hardly a year to remember for Pakistain on this count. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom report says that "Pakistain represents one of the worst situations in the world for religious freedom". In fact, the report recommends that Pakistain be designated a "country of particular concern", which can trigger economic sanctions under American legislation. The document says Shias, as well as Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus experienced violence in the country, while it also highlights the reported forced conversions of Hindu girls to Islam. It is also critical of this country's blasphemy laws. It should be mentioned that the report is not Pakistain-specific and mentions other countries as well; for example it says that India, under BJP rule, has witnessed increasing acts of violence against that country's Christians and Moslems. But the embarrassing prognosis of Pakistain's problem of religious violence should make the state take a long, hard look at what is wrong and how to fix it. So far, the current year has also shown no signs that those who kill in the name of faith are a spent force; the Shikarpur and Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. imambargah bombings, as well as the Lahore church attacks, serve as deadly reminders of their potency. The major problem, as the report points out, is that hardly any of the perpetrators who commit acts of violence on religious grounds, as well as the individuals who incite and support them, have been brought to justice. In fact, over the last few weeks we have seen groups with overtly sectarian, violent agendas march in cities across Pakistain. With such groups still on the prowl, the argument that the establishment is taking action against religiously motivated murderers is seriously dented. The state must realise that unless it acts against religious zealots who practise and preach violence, not only will Pakistain continue to get a bad press internationally, but such violence will have a detrimental effect on communal and sectarian relations within the country. To show the world as well as its own citizens that it will not tolerate religious violence, the Pak state must permanently put jihadi and sectarian groups out of business. | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #4 "The US Commission on International Religious Freedom report says that Pakistain represents one of the worst situations in the world for religious freedom." I though that was the whole point of Pakistan existing. Silly me. |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2015-05-04 08:04 |
| #3 The only effective answer to people who believe that they've not just a right, but an obligation, to spreed their ideology through violence (and I don't care if the ideology is Islam or Democracy) is counter-violence. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-05-04 02:51 |
| #2 The answer to religion is comedy and jokes and contempt for the illogical and silky That's why they hate the cartoons of Mo sooooo much - and why blasphemy laws must be resisted. Peaceful, non-violent comedy, not hatred but just making fun of the silly |
| Posted by: Anon1 2015-05-04 02:02 |
| #1 But the Pak state IS a jihadi and sectarian group. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2015-05-04 00:11 |